Plastic stopper with guarantee strip



Sept. 13, 1966 p VAN BAARN 3,272,368

PLASTIC STOPPER WITH GUARANTEE STRIP Filed Oct. 20, 1964 INVENTOR.

PAUL 6'. Van BAARN .4 T TORNEYS.

United States Patent Q 3,272,368 PLASTIC STOPPER WITH GUARANTEE STRIP Paul S. Van Baarn, 8 Rue Bellevue, Monte Carlo, Monaco Filed Oct. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 405,297 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-41) The present invention relates to plastic stoppers and like devices and has specific reference to plastic stoppers of the type adapted to cap a container and formed with a skirt portion comprising in the known fashion an annular guarantee strip provided with a tear-ofi lug or tongue. This guarantee strip when pulled off is not removed completely from the skirt contour so as to leave on this contour a kind of hinge portion constantly connecting a lower element of the device, in the form of a belt kept in engagement with the neck of the container, to a lid-forming upper element.

Due to the provision of this guarantee strip the content of the bottle or like container provided with the device of this invention cannot be extracted or poured unless the strip is torn off and on the other hand the lid cannot be lost due to the presence of said hinge portion.

This known stopper is characterized by means capable of maintaining the lid in its open position in a plane substantially at right angles to that of the orifice of the container. In the absence of such means, the inherent elasticity of the plastic material constituting the device will constantly urge the lid to its closed position, that is, toward the container, which obviously interferes with the removal of the content.

These means comprise as a rule a pair of outer lugs or like projections moulded integrally with one of the component elements of the device, at right angles to the aforesaid skirt and approximately at the location of said hinge portion, the outer ends of said lugs or like projections being formed with registering bosses. They also comprise an outer arm moulded integrally with the other element of the device and extending at right angles to the skirt thereof, approximately at the location of said hinge portion and between said lugs, the outer end of said arm being formed with an ear on each side. Said two lugs and said arm are adapted to co-act with a view to hold the lid in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the orifice of the container. To this end their relative positions and dimensions are such that when the lid is opened the lid arm will snap into the gap formed between the two lugs and the bosses and ears formed integrally on said lugs and arm Will be in such relative engagement as to hold the lid against its closing movement.

The relative spacing left between the bosses formed on said pair of lugs should be inferior to the width of the outer end of said arm increased by its lateral ears, and the length of the earless portion of said arm should correspond approximately to the height of the hinge portion of the device.

If desired the two lugs may be formed on the lid and the arm may be carried by the lower belt portion of the device or vice versa.

Specific forms of embodiment of the device of this invention will be described hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing the device fitted on the neck of a container;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view from above of the same device;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing in vertical axial section the device fitted on the neck of a container, during its use;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing an alternate form of embodiment of the device; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary axial section showing another form of embodiment of the device.

The plastic stopper device of this invention comprises in the known fashion a tear-off annular guarantee strip 1 provided With a tongue 2 for facilitating the removal thereof. This guarantee strip is not removed throughout the periphery of the stopper device so as to leave a hinge-forming portion thereon, for example in the form of a pair of short, thin and flexible strips 3. This hinge portion will constantly connect a lower belt portion 4 kept in close engagement With the neck 18 of the container between two heads 5, 6 of the said neck (see FIG- URE 3) to a lid 7, so that the latter cannot be lost. As a rule, this lid is provided with a lug (not shown) for facilitating the handling thereof, this lug being positioned on its lateral surface opposite said hinge portion. A gap or hole 8 separates the two strips 3 and other gaps or holes 9 are provided between the ends of the tear-01f strip 1 and the hinge portions 3.

The lid 7 is provided preferably with an inner annular head 14 adapted to fit in a groove 15 formed on the top of the neck of the container, and also with an annular rib 16 adapted to engage the top edge 17 of the neck of the container when the lid is closed, the relative spacing between said bead 14 and the bottom of lid 7 being suitably selected to this end, with due consideration for the distance between the groove 15 and the top 17 of the neck. The head 14 and rib 16 constitute the sealing gaskets of lid 7, and have the complementary function of breaking any capillary film likely to be formed between two surfaces in relative engagement along a certain length. The volume of the air trapped between the bead and the rib should be relatively small in order to avoid any risk of oxidizing the bottle content.

The stopper device is force fitted on the neck 18 of the container. This device should necessarily be made from plastic stock adapted, subsequent to the force fitting thereof, to preserve a permanent coefiicient of elasticity exceeding the permanent set to which it is likely to be subjected.

This known stopper device is characterized by means permitting of holding the lid 7 in its open position in a plane substantially at right angles to that of the orifice of the container, when the tear-off strip 1 has been removed and the container is being used.

These means, as shown in FIGURES 1-3 of the drawings, comprise two outer lugs 10 moulded integrally with the base of lid 7, approximately just above the hinge portions 3, these lugs extending at right angles to the lid skirt 21 and having its outer ends formed with inner projections or bosses 11 registering with each other. These two lugs are adapted, when the lid 7 is opened, to co-act with an intermediate outer arm 12 moulded integrally with the belt portion 4 and extending at right angles thereto beneath the hinge portions 3, the outer end of said arm 12 being formed with opposite lateral cars 13. The relative positions and dimensions of lugs 10 and arm 12 are such that when the user opens the lid 7 by pivoting same about the hinge portions 3 the registering projec tions or bosses 11 formed on the lugs 10 engage the lateral ears 13 on .the outer end of arm 12, whereby said lugs 10 are resiliently forced apart by said ears 13; then, as the opening movement of lid 7 is continued, the bosses 11 of lugs 10 move to a position beyond or behind the ears 13 of arm 12, i.e. between these ears 13 and the belt 4 (see FIGURE 3), as the relative spacing of lugs 10 resumes elastically its normal value and the lid 7 is thus locked in a substantially vertical position, that is, at right angles to the plane of the orifice of the container, due to the engagement of bosses 11 of lugs 10 with the cars 13 of arm 12. Of course, the relative spacing of bosses 11 is inferior to the width of the end portion of arm 12 which is enlarged by the ears 13.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a reverse relative arrangement of lugs 10 and arm 12, the lid being shown in its open position. The two lugs 10 are carried by the fixed belt portion 4 and the arm 12 is carried by the lid 7. The operation of this device is the same as in the preceding case.

The two lugs 10 straddle the arm 12 elastically and retain it like the jaws of a pair of pliers, due to the abutment of the ears 13 against the bosses 11 of lugs 12.

The fluid-tightness of the stopper device of this invention may be improved in the known fashion by providing on the lid 7 an inner skirt 19 constituting an additional inner stopper formed with an annular bead 20 registering approximately with the bead 14 of the outer skirt 21 of said lid. The relative spacing between said skirts 19 and 21 is such that in the closed position the annular 'bead 20 is pressed against the inner surface of the neck to provide a complementary gasket co-acting with the bead 14 and rib 16 (see FIGURE I claim:

1. A plastic stopper device for releasably sealing the orifice in the neck of a container comprising a lower belt portion for securing said stopper device to said neck of the container, a captive lid portion having an outer skirt including bead means for sealing said orifice, at least one hinge strap integrally formed with said belt portion and said lid portion interconnecting same for movement of said lid portion about a hingle point between a sealing position parallel to said belt portion and an open position generally perpendicular thereto, a tear-off guarantee strip between said lower belt portion and said lid portion for precluding movement of said lid portion to said open position until said guarantee strip is torn off, and means on said belt portion and said lid portion for releasably holding said lid in its open position, said holding means comprising a pair of outer lugs extending outwardly from one of said portions on opposite sides of said hinge point, said lugs having projections extending from each lug toward the other forming a decreased spacing therebetween, said holding means further including an intermediate outer arm extending outwardly from the other of said portions at said hinge point, the outer end of said arm having a pair of cars extending sidewardly therefrom a distance greater than said decreased spacing, said arm being positioned to be engaged between said lugs when said lid is in its open position, said ears on said outer lugs and said projections on said intermediate outer arm resiliently engaging each other for opposing movement of said lid into its sealing position, said intermediate arm and said outer lugs being formed integrally with said belt portion, lid portion and guarantee tear strip of a resilient plastic material.

2. A stopper device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outer lugs extend outwardly from said skirt of said lid portion and said intermediate arm extends outwardly from said belt portion.

3. A stopper device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outer lugs extend outwardly from said belt portion and said intermediate arm extends outwardly from said outer skirt of said lid portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,432 12/1911 Jones 292-17 3,061,346 10/ 1962 J orgensen 29217 3,077,282 2/ 1963 Eggers 22031 3,081,395 3/1963 Wickenberg 220- X 3,186,574 6/1965 Davidson 22031 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,247,480 10/ 1960 France.

1,281,180 11/1961 France.

. 182,321 5/ 1936 Switzerland.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PLASTIC STOPPER DEVICE FOR RELEASABLY SEALING THE ORIFICE IN THE NECK OF A CONTAINER COMPRISING A LOWER BELT PORTION FOR SECURING SAID STOPPER DEVICE TO SAID NECK OF THE CONTAINER, A CAPTIVE LID PORTION HAVING AN OUTER SKIRT INCLUDING BEAD MEANS FOR SEALING SAID ORIFICE, AT LEAST ONE HINGE STRAP INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID BELT PORTION AND SAID LID PORTION INTERCONNECTING SAME FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID LID PORTION ABOUT A HINGLE POINT BETWEEN A SEALING POSITION PARALLEL TO SAID BELT PORTION AND AN OPEN POSITION GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO, A TEAR-OFF GUARANTEE STRIP BETWEEN SAID LOWER BELT PORTION AND SAID LID PORTION FOR PRECLUDING MOVEMENT OF SAID LID PORTION TO SAID OPEN POSITION UNTIL SAID GUARANTEE STRIP IS TORN OFF, AND MEANS ON SAID BELT PORTION AND SAID LID PORTION FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID LID IN ITS OPEN POSITION, SAID HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF OUTER LUGS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID PORTIONS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID HINGE POINT, SAID LUGS HAVING PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM EACH LUG TOWARD THE OTHER FORMING A DECREASED SPACING THEREBETWEEN, SAID HOLDING MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE OUTER ARM EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS AT SAID HINGE POINT, THE OUTER END OF SAID ARM HAVING A PAIR OF EARS EXTENDING SIDEWARDLY THEREFROM A DISTANCE GREATER THAN SAID DECREASED SPACING, SAID ARM BEING POSITIONED TO BE ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID LUGS WHEN SAID LID IS IN ITS OPEN POSITION, SAID EARS ON SAID OUTER LUGS AND SAID PROJECTIONS ON SAID INTERMEDIATE OUTER ARM RESILIENTLY ENGAGING EACH OTHER FOR OPPOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID LID INTO ITS SEALING POSITION, SAID INTERMEDIATE ARM AND SAID OUTER LUGS BEING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID BELTP PORTION, LID PORTION AND GUARANTEE TEAR STRIP OF A RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL. 